Sky News breakfast: Laura Jayes joins Kieran Gilbert on First Edition

Sky News political reporter Laura Jayes has joined chief political reporter Kieran Gilbert as co-anchor of its flagship breakfast news program First Edition and morning political program AM Agenda LIVE as they started broadcasting this morning on the Foxtel platform.

Each weekday 5am-8:30am, Jayes and Gilbert team up to deliver Australian viewers breaking news, business news and national affairs coverage first.

Then weekdays at 8:30am, they jointly host AM Agenda, Australia’s only weekday morning program devoted to political news coverage. The political journalists will bring together decision makers and opinion leaders, including a no-holds-barred debate between Labor and Liberal MPs.

Laura Jayes said: “What a great privilege to be working alongside a wonderful mentor, excellent journalist and all-round decent human. I’m humbled to be invited into the homes of thousands of Australians. We all lead busy lives so we promise not to waste your time. You’ll only need to come to one place to find out exactly what you need to know in politics, business, news, weather and sport.

“Kieran and I will also join forces to bring you AM Agenda, the only weekday morning program dedicated to politics. I’m proud of our track record on breaking political news – with the two of us, you can’t go wrong.”

Kieran Gilbert said: “Laura is one of the sharpest, best-connected and most insightful political journalists of her generation. I’m honoured to work with her. She is also hilarious and a great friend. I can’t wait to work with her.”

Angelos Frangopoulos, CEO, Australian News Channel, said: “Laura is an outstanding political journalist and will bring great energy to First Edition and AM Agenda alongside respected political news-breaker Kieran Gilbert. This is breakfast and morning television for Australians who want to start the day informed and across the issues facing the nation and the world.”

Jayes joined Sky News in 2006 as Brisbane reporter. Most recently she held the role of political reporter and anchor of NewsDay and The Latest.

She has reported on Brexit live from London, the war in Afghanistan from Kabul, Kandahar and Tarin Kowt and Donald Trump’s election win and inauguration in Washington. She is one of the only journalists to have been granted access to Nauru to report on the fate of asylum seekers.

Gilbert is a leading member of the Sky News Canberra bureau.

He joined Sky News in 2003 and over the last two decades, together with political editor David Speers, has built the Sky News Canberra team into one of the leading bureaus in the Canberra Press Gallery.

He has earned a reputation as a leading political reporter through his coverage of major news stories including the Coalition wins at the 2016 and 2013 elections, the 2010 cliff-hanger election and subsequent minority Gillard Government, Kevin Rudd’s 2007 victory and John Howard’s fourth election win in 2004.

In addition to federal politics, Gilbert has reported on significant global news events including the Boxing Day tsunami and Barack Obama’s inauguration as the 44th President of the United States.

Gilbert and Jayes were recipients of a team Walkley Award and TV Week Logie for the 2016 Sky News Federal Election coverage.